Ethel, page 1 Panel 1: A dark panel with only dialogue visible. “Looks like someone bust the lock already.” “Seriously? I learnt lock-picking for this!” “Who cares? Makes things easier for us!” Panel 2: The inside of a corridor with cobwebs and graffiti. It’s been abandoned for a long time. “Everyone got their equipment ready? We can’t have another ‘low battery’ moment.” “I already told you, a ghost switched off the E.M.F!” Panel 3: We now see our four main characters. Hazel is holding a light and an E.M.F. Jayson is holding a spirit box, Pepper isn’t holding anything but looks annoyed, and Nick is holding a torch. Jayson: “And did they also forget to charge the batteries, too?” Pepper: “Can we not do this again, Jayson? Please? Wanna tell us about this place again, Nick? We’re looking for the ghost of a teacher, right? Nick: “Headmistress Ethel. She was super strict. Somehow she knew whenever anyone stepped even a toe out of line.”
Ethel, page 2 Panel 1: Hazel turns to look at Nick as she talks to him. Hazel: “People have said she could see everything through mirrors, right?” Nick: “Yup. And in the end, it was a mirror that finished her off…” Panel 2: Nick talks off-panel as we see Ethel slumped over her desk with a shard of mirror sticking out of her back, blood pooling around her. Nick: “She was found in her office one morning, dead. Stabbed in the back by a shard from one of the many mirrors in her office.” Panel 3: Nick shrugs sarcastically, as Jayson uses Nick’s torch to light his face from beneath, a sinister but playful look on his face. Pepper is in the background and does not look impressed. Nick: “The school closed soon after. Apparently murder isn’t good for reputation. Who knew?” Jayson: “They say her ghost possessed every mirror in the school. “If you declare bad behavior to any mirror three times, Ethel’s ghost will be free”.” Pepper: “Jay, give Nick his torch back.” Panel 4: Hazel laughs nervously, pointing to the sign of a girls’ toilet. Hazel: “Eheh… Well, no sign of activity here. Who’s up for a little ‘bathroom break’?” Panel 5: Hazel turns on the light with a ‘bzzzt-!’ as they walk into the girls’ toilets. There is graffiti and leaky plumbing. Pepper us pulling something out of her pocket. Hazel: “Nothing much in here either, aside from the smell.” Panel 6: Pepper pulls a piece of paper from the notebook she pulled out of her pocket. Pepper: “So let’s make something happen.”
Ethel, page 3 Panel 1: Pepper slams the paper down onto a flat area of the sink. Panel 2: Pepper tightly rolls up the piece of paper. Panel 3: Pepper smirks as she holds the paper like a cigarette. Pepper: “Got your phones ready?” Panel 4: Pepper, Jayson and Nick can be seen in the mirror reflections. Jayson and Nick both have their phones recording as Pepper speaks to her reflection. Pepper: “O’ Mistress Ethel, you’re going to choke… I’m in the toilets for a smoke!” Panel 5: The panel goes dark with a ‘FZZZT-!!’. “Th-the lights! Did she–?” SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE “Argh! Make it stop!”
Ethel, page 4 Panel 1: Hazel turns her light on, panicking as she faces an angry Jayson. Hazel: “S-sorry! I just wanted to flicker the lights!” Jayson: “You did that?!” Panel 2: Hazel talks off panel. Pepper looks disappointed while Nick turns his torch back on. Hazel: “O-only the lights, I swear! The E.M.F. went off on its own! I think I tripped the power though. Sorry…” Pepper: “Guess that makes the toilets a dud, then.” Panel 3: Pepper continues to speak as the scene changes to the four of them walking through a hallway, past a portrait of Ethel. Pepper: “Let’s keep looking.” Panel 4: Hazel, off-panel, approaches the costume section of the theatre department. Hazel: “Ooh~!” Panel 5: Hazel and Pepper are already rummaging through the various clothing and accessories, wearing a few of them. Jayson is in the background trying to get the spirit box to work. Hazel: “This stuff is really nice! Maybe we should keep something. …As a souvenir.” Pepper: “Way ahead of you! Let’s see what Ethel thinks of this!”
Ethel (1/2)
In March I got to attend the Embassy of Japan for the second year in a row, and placed 6th with my 2024 Manga Jiman contest entry, Ethel!
I'm so incredibly proud of this comic, I learnt so much from it ✨
#comic #manga #mangajiman
